3 alleged migrant traffickers arrested

(ANSA) - Crotone, July 21 - Police apprehended three Ukrainian nationals on Tuesday on suspicion of migrant smuggling to Italy. Oleh Konieiev, 48, Vitalii Kudria, 38, and Artur Nykyshenko, 24, were arrested on charges of favouring illegal immigration in relation to the arrival of 38 Afghan, Syrian and Iraqi migrants in the southern Calabrian port of Crotone earlier in the day.
    The migrants were transported to the port after being rescued by Italian finance police and the British patrol boat 'Seeker' some 100 miles off the coast when their 12 m sailing boat flying under the Russian flag started taking in water.
    The migrants had reportedly paid approximately 6,000 euros each for the passage from Turkey to Italy. Investigators found a dinghy on board the sail boat that was allegedly to be used by the traffickers to make their get-away on approaching the Italian coast.